Treasurer Rutherford reviews Caterpillar in China

Treasurer Dan Rutherford is back from a review of Caterpillar in China. (Jim Anderson/WJBC)

A delegation of Illinois politicians to China finds a strong position there for Caterpillar.

State Treasurer Dan Rutherford led a delegation that included five state lawmakers. He says that in just 30 years in China, Caterpillar has gone from nothing to something.

“Here we now have an Illinois company that only a few short decades ago was not in that marketplace, today is a significant player and is a major importer into China from the United States. That is significant,” he said.

The Peoria-based firm, which makes construction equipment, has 11 plants and 5,800 employees in China, but still generates half of its revenue in China from imports from the United States.

Rutherford helped Illinois businesses establish themselves in China 30 years ago as an envoy for the Illinois Department of Commerce. He has visited China “eight or nine times,” and Hong Kong 25 times. Many of those visits were as an executive for ServiceMaster.

The recent trip to China, Aug. 20-Sept. 2, included Rutherford and state Sen. Pam Althoff (R-McHenry), state Rep. Patricia Bellock (R-Hinsdale), state Rep. Charles Jefferson (D-Rockford), state Rep. Renee Kosel (R-New Lenox) and state Sen. Susan Rezin (R-Peru). Rutherford says taxpayer money was not used for the trip.

The governor is due to visit China later this month.